"Chapter 353: A busy day has come to an end."

After leaving Recca's lab, Alex, carrying Anya in his arms, headed toward the clinic's exit. On the way, he made sure to stop by Shizuka and Mari to say goodbye, which almost resulted in a delay — the girls clearly wanted to chat a bit longer. Fortunately, Alex pretended to be barely standing and not at all eager to stay even a minute more. The trick worked, and Shizuka didn't insist on keeping them.

At the clinic's entrance, Alex noticed that Anya was practically glowing with happiness. He immediately suspected that her joy had something to do with their recent adventure in Rome — the annihilation of the demons, and incidentally, the city itself. The girl had clearly enjoyed it. Alex pondered: maybe it wouldn't be GIR, MIMI, or even Stitch who would shape Anya's personality, but he himself — her father. And at some point, she might become a reflection of him.

Mentally picturing Anya laughing brightly in front of a burning city, Alex felt a mix of emotions. On one hand, it was oddly adorable. On the other, a little terrifying. But as always, he decided not to interfere and simply observe where it would all lead. He wasn't against the idea of Anya turning out like him — as long as, in his view, she didn't become "bad." Everything else was trivial. Whether she wiped one city off the map or twenty — what mattered was that she stayed kind and sweet.

Alex glanced at Anya, who was comfortably settled in his arms, and thought with light irony that someday, at least one of his children would inherit his destructive tendencies. After all, he himself wasn't always rational: instead of a precise purge of demons and necromorphs, he had simply erased Rome from the map. And during the fight with the Mechanical Man in Becky's universe, the destruction of an entire galaxy had brought him unmatched satisfaction.

Still, Anya was far too young for such feats, and Alex wasn't worried. Not yet.

As he approached the house, he noticed an irritated Chun-Li standing on the porch. Nearby, Juri was chatting cheerfully, which clearly only added to Chun-Li's frustration. Alex instantly realized that something must have happened while he was gone — and the best way to find out what was to simply ask.

As he came closer, both women noticed him. Chun-Li looked at him with slight guilt, while Juri wore a wide, triumphant smirk. When Anya saw one of her moms, she cheerfully waved.

"Anya, come to me. I need you to heal my heart," said Chun-Li, gently taking the girl from Alex's arms.

Anya didn't resist and happily let herself be hugged. Chun-Li pulled her close, as if trying to squeeze out all the lingering irritation and soak in her daughter's calming energy. Juri raised an eyebrow at the sight, amusement flickering in her eyes.

"What a sweet and tender side of you, Chun-Li. I didn't expect that," she said with a smirk.

"You're just jealous that I have an adorable daughter, and you're still unwanted," Chun-Li retorted with the same smile.

Juri's eye twitched — she hadn't expected Chun-Li to fire back in kind. Sparks of rivalry flared between them once again. Alex froze in mild confusion, and most of all, Anya looked lost as she sat in Chun-Li's arms, glancing between her mom and her rival, unsure how she ended up in the middle of their spat.

The two women locked eyes—tense, sharp. The air seemed to crackle with the scent of an impending fight. But suddenly, Juri smirked and looked at Anya, as if a wildly entertaining idea had just struck her.

"Hey, little one, want me to be your mom too? I'm way cooler than this long-legged one who only knows how to be strict," Juri said mockingly.

"Don't even think about it. I won't let you pollute my daughter's head with your horrible habits. You're a walking disaster—lazy, irresponsible, and completely lacking in self-control," Chun-Li replied, pulling Anya behind her.

"Hey! Why are you hiding her from me like I'm some kind of disease?!" Juri protested.

"Because you are a disease. I'm afraid just one look is enough for Anya to pick up your bad habits," Chun-Li shot back, narrowing her eyes.

"You little..." Juri growled, baring her teeth.

The two women erupted into a fiery argument. Juri tried to snatch Anya from Chun-Li's arms, while Chun-Li skillfully dodged and held her daughter close, not letting her rival get anywhere near. Like two wild cats, they circled each other, neither willing to give an inch. Anya, meanwhile, laughed with pure joy, clearly enjoying the commotion and the fast-paced chaos.

Alex watched the scene unfold with a blank expression, unable to grasp how things had escalated to this point. He couldn't deny that Anya was the most adorable little angel in the family—so much so that even Juri had fallen prey to her charm. But how had that led to Chun-Li and Juri now battling for the right to hold her?

It all started with a seemingly innocent remark: Juri, caught up in emotion, had offered to become another mom to Anya. Alex had considered stepping in to stop them, but when he heard Anya's delighted laughter, he decided—let her enjoy it. After all, it wasn't every day two women—one her mother, the other a potential "mom"—engaged in a full-on chase for her affection, even if it began as a jab at a rival.

Before Alex could blink, both women sprang into motion. Chun-Li darted across the yard with Anya in her arms, doing her best to stay ahead of Juri. Juri chased after them, flailing her arms dramatically and shouting sarcastic remarks. Anya, caught up in the thrill of the game, laughed so loudly and joyfully that even the sparrows in the trees turned to look.

Having abandoned any attempt to make sense of it, Alex just stood there, watching it all unfold. All he had wanted was to find out why Chun-Li looked grumpy and Juri seemed annoyingly satisfied with life. Even the valkyries, who had been in the spiritual space, emerged outside—so bizarre was the scene that they couldn't ignore it.

And it wasn't just Alex who was puzzled. Even the valkyries—warriors who had seen the battles of gods—stood baffled. They shared Alex's thoughts: how the hell had this turned into... a marathon? He'd already lost count of how many laps Chun-Li and Juri had made around the house, but one thing was clear—neither of them planned to back down. Their rivalry ran too deep.

The shouting and pounding footsteps drew the attention of the other women inside the house. When they stepped outside, the first thing they saw was Chun-Li and Juri speeding past like a whirlwind. Their eyes immediately turned to Alex, who stood off to the side wearing a face that screamed he'd just realized his life was actually a sitcom. He shrugged as if to say, "Don't ask me—I don't get it either."

The girls glanced once more at Chun-Li and Juri, who darted past them again like a pair of racing comets, and—unwilling to get dragged into the madness—silently came to the same conclusion: Out of sight, out of mind. Without another word, they returned to the house, mentally leaving Alex to deal with the aftermath.

"Alex, aren't you going to stop those two lunatics? I've lost count of how many laps they've made around the house," Geirölul said wearily, hovering behind him in her spiritual form.

"But Anya's having fun… Listen to how adorably she's laughing," Alex replied with a soft smile, eyes still fixed on the two racing women.

"She may be having fun now…" Randgriz interjected gently.

"But?" Alex turned his head slightly, looking at the Valkyries.

"But what if she suddenly starts to feel sick?" Göndul added in a quiet but pointed tone, her piercing gaze locking onto Alex. "Just because Chun-Li is holding her doesn't mean she can keep it up forever."

Alex flinched under her stare, cleared his throat, and disappeared in the next instant. He reappeared holding Anya safely in his arms. The little girl barely registered the sudden shift, but upon seeing the hovering Valkyries, she lit up with joy and waved enthusiastically at them. They smiled back at her. Even Hlökk and Alvitr—usually fussy like spoiled princesses—couldn't help but return the gesture with warm smiles.

After a short farewell, the Valkyries returned to Alex's spiritual realm.

Meanwhile, Chun-Li was still running from Juri, who continued throwing sharp insults as she chased her. But suddenly, something odd caught Chun-Li's attention. Without slowing down, she glanced back—and froze. Anya was gone. Her arms were wrapped around empty air.

"Wait!" she shouted, thrusting her hand forward in a gesture to halt Juri.

"What, already tired? Ready to admit defeat?" Juri taunted mockingly, but her smirk faltered when she saw the look on Chun-Li's face.

"No... Anya's gone," Chun-Li said quietly, showing her empty arms.

Juri stopped dead in her tracks. Both women stared at each other in shock, realizing they had genuinely lost the child—and hadn't even noticed when it happened.

"What kind of mother loses her kid while running?!" Juri snapped.

"Don't you dare blame me! You're the one who was chasing me down, trying to snatch her away! And what was that nonsense about 'Want me to be your mommy too?'" Chun-Li fired back defensively.

Not far from them, Alex stood holding Anya in his arms. Together, they watched the two women continue their intense argument over her "disappearance." Alex and Anya exchanged a look and giggled quietly, trying not to attract attention while Chun-Li and Juri raged on.

After a moment, Alex lightly tapped Anya's cheek, signaling her—it was time to let the ladies know she was safe before they launched another wild goose chase.

"Mommy! I'm here!" Anya called cheerfully, waving her hand.

Chun-Li and Juri froze and turned simultaneously, eyes landing on the little girl who sat cozily in Alex's arms, waving at them with an innocent smile. Chun-Li immediately flushed red with a mix of relief and fury. She had nearly suffered a heart attack thinking her daughter was gone, only to discover she'd been safe with Alex the entire time—completely unbothered.

Neither woman was particularly surprised. Knowing Alex and his abilities, it was entirely in character for him to whisk Anya away without anyone noticing. Still, that didn't make Chun-Li any less annoyed.

"Well, now that you've finally stopped…" Alex said calmly, "mind telling me what exactly is going on here?"

"What's there to explain?" Juri replied, pointing at Chun-Li's legs. "I came for that."

Alex followed her gaze and immediately understood what she meant — they were talking about the air leg guards the girls had received. He shifted his eyes to Chun-Li, who nodded irritably, confirming Juri's words. Alex raised an eyebrow, not quite grasping how things had escalated into yet another quarrel over footwear.

He waved his hand, signaling that he was waiting for an explanation.

"Your friend lost the bet, and now you have to make me the same kind of leg guards so I can jump through the air too," Juri said with a wide grin.

"I didn't lose! You just cheated!" Chun-Li snapped back, shooting her an annoyed look.

"That's what losers always say. Or is the great Chun-Li too proud to admit defeat?" Juri teased.

"Alright, enough of you two. Or you'll start running in circles again. A win is a win, a loss is a loss. Whether there was cheating or not doesn't matter anymore. I don't usually play by the rules either, so… it's all good," Alex said, shrugging.

"See? I told you. Even your husband thinks it's fine," Juri said smugly, leaning back with her hands behind her head.

Chun-Li ignored her jab, turned around, and walked silently back into the house. She decided the easiest way to be an adult here was to not argue and just leave. Alex shook his head with a smile, watching her go, and Anya imitated her father, folding her arms across her chest and shaking her head too.

"Well, now it's your turn. When do you want your personal air leg guards, and what style will they be?" Alex asked, turning his gaze to Juri.

"Oh, you agreed so quickly. I thought you'd want something in return. This isn't even fun," Juri replied with a mischievous smile, looking at him.

"Well, if you want to pay, you can do it your way," Alex said, lazily yawning as a wave of laziness washed over him.

"So, I can repay you however I want? Hmm… maybe you want something more, handsome?" Juri said, stepping closer and wrapping her arms around his neck.

"That's for you to decide. But for now, let's head inside. I'll see what I can come up with for you… before laziness completely takes over me. Boop," Alex added, lightly tapping her on the nose.

Anya laughed and lightly tapped Juri's nose too, which visibly flustered her. The girl instinctively glanced at Anya, who smiled sweetly and reached toward her face again. Suddenly, Juri couldn't hold back — she snatched Anya from Alex's arms and hugged her tightly.

Watching the scene, Alex only smiled warmly. His little demon princess could conquer anyone with her innocent smile. And if someone happened to be too stubborn — her father always had a stick ready to put the fool in their place.

Entering the house together with Juri, Alex noticed the other girls in the living room laughing at Chun-Li — not only because she had lost, but also because she hadn't even noticed that Anya had slipped from her arms.

"Is it always this lively here?" Juri asked with a smirk, looking around.

"Usually, yes. Sometimes even worse. Why do you ask?" Alex replied, taking off his cloak and hanging it on the coat rack.

"I'm thinking about moving in with you. It'd be convenient — to annoy Chun-Li and test your nerves," Juri said without hesitation.

"You want to be my mom too?" Anya suddenly asked, comfortably settling in Juri's arms.

"Maybe, baby," Juri answered, casting a meaningful glance at Alex. "It all depends on whether I can tie up your dad so well that he definitely won't run away from me."

"Don't say things like that in front of the kids," Alex grumbled and gave her a light flick on the forehead.

Juri laughed, put Anya down on the floor, and the girl immediately ran to the rest of her "moms." Alex smiled warmly after her, then gestured for Juri to sit down.

He pulled out his phone from his pocket and handed it to Juri, asking her to choose the style for the upcoming air leg guards. If they were going to make them, better do it now before the last bits of motivation crumbled under the weight of the laziness he was already starting to feel. Juri nodded and dived into the selection, quickly joined by the other girls — the discussion erupted energetically.

Namiyo, the responsible hostess, had already brought tea and placed it in front of Juri. Alex watched as everyone gathered around, giving advice and arguing over the design of the leg guards. He wanted to hurry Juri along, but was immediately ignored — the female voices drowned out his words.

Realizing he had no choice, Alex headed to the kitchen for a cup of coffee — the fuel needed to keep productivity alive. Brewing himself a strong drink, he returned to the living room, set the mug on the table, and with a tired sigh collapsed on the couch, resting his head on Zero Two's lap.

He closed his eyes, almost falling asleep, when he suddenly felt something soft nudging his lips. A faint sweet taste revealed it was a candy, and Alex realized Zero Two was feeding him sweets. He opened his mouth — and the candy was immediately placed inside. Zero Two continued feeding him, ignoring the loud discussions around them.

Alex was nearly dozing off when someone began persistently poking his cheek. Opening one eye, he met Red's blue eyes, who silently nodded toward the girls. Alex understood: the discussion was finally over.

Getting up, he approached Juri, who was sitting in a chair, and she handed him the phone. Alex glanced quickly at the chosen design, nodded, yawned, and dragging his feet, headed to his workshop. After sitting at the table for about ten minutes, pretending to work, he simply used his powers and quickly created the air leg guards in the required design.

Returning, he placed the finished pair in front of Juri.

"You're fast. Hope you're not this speedy about everything," Juri said with a sly smile, starting to try on the leg guards.

"Don't worry. We have a very capable husband," Rika smirked, winking at Juri.

"Heh-heh-heh, noted. Now, Chun-Li, how about a rematch? Or are you still digesting your last defeat?" Juri asked, standing up and stretching her legs in the new leg guards.

Chun-Li silently headed toward the door leading to the yard. Juri immediately followed her. Curious, the other girls quickly trailed behind — everyone was eager to see how the new contest would end.

The house fell silent again, though not everyone joined in the excitement. Kiriko and Namiyo decided to stay behind — they didn't feel like participating in these childish games. Alcina also had no desire to watch the "battle," considering it childish nonsense.

Zero Two and Lucy were simply tired after testing their leg guards and preferred to rest. Red and White stayed close to Alex, deciding that spending time comfortably inside was much nicer than rushing back outside.

Gradually, evening came, and the girls began returning home. Brunhilda, Koko, Yuriko, and Saya were the first to arrive, having spent the whole day busy with settlement matters. Soon, Shizuka returned as well, a satisfied smile on her face. Her regular group of patients hadn't appeared today, which made her day — and Mari's — much calmer and more relaxing.

While dinner was being prepared, Alex casually mentioned testing a demon virus in Rome, immediately piquing the girls' interest. But Anya, unknowingly, betrayed her father by announcing that she had been there too. As soon as she said that, Alex was bombarded with looks full of reproach — so intense it felt like new holes had opened up all over his body.

Even Kiriko and Namiyo, who were cooking dinner, came out to the living room to scold Alex for his irresponsible behavior. All the girls began scolding him in unison, saying he shouldn't have taken Anya along, reminding him of the risks and dangers. Alex could only listen with a stone-cold face, knowing deep down he had expected this when he decided to take Anya and Recca with him to Rome.

"What's all the noise? What's going on?" Becca asked, entering the house with Revi.

"Alex took Anya with him to test the virus in Rome," Saya reported, pointing at Alex and almost poking him in the face.

"So what if he did? What's the big deal? The little one saw demons dying. It's not the end of the world," Becca said carelessly, shrugging as she pulled off her hoodie, staying in her bra and shorts.

Saya stared at her, speechless. Even Revi calmly shrugged, as if nothing unusual had happened. The other girls just rolled their eyes, well aware that both Becca and Revi had gone through similar experiences as children, which had become a foundation for their friendship — along with their similar personalities.

Alex gave a thumbs-up to Becca and Revi in approval but immediately got a snap on the hand from Brunhilda. Her look clearly said, "The conversation isn't over yet." Alex just smiled and pretended not to notice.

The other girls soon returned too — just in time for dinner. Alex noticed Juri among them with some surprise. From their chatter, it was clear that Juri and Chun-Li had started another argument, which ended in a draw. So Juri stayed for dinner.

Alex didn't mind, but when all the girls rushed together toward the bathroom, he didn't manage to stop them — he noticed too late, just as the doors slammed shut. Sighing, he decided to let them sort things out themselves since they had brought Juri along and invited her in.

Alex's thoughts were interrupted by a sudden knock at the door.

"Were you expecting someone?" Koko asked, glancing at him.

"Me? No. Maybe something happened in the settlement?" he replied.

But Saya, Brunhilda, Yuriko, and Koko all shook their heads, indicating that it was unlikely anything could have happened in the settlement in the five minutes they had been home.

"Well, why are you just sitting there? Go open it. After all, you're our semi-recognized leader of the settlement," Saya said, tugging on his leg and pulling him off the couch.

Smirking, Alex stood and headed to the door. When he opened it, he saw Recca standing on the doorstep with a bag at her feet and a slightly embarrassed smile.

"Heh heh heh... Hello again. So, I came," she said with an awkward laugh.

"Let me guess, you got kicked out of your place?" Alex asked with a light smile.

Sigh "You could say that. To quote Moira, it was more like: 'Why are you still living with us? Are you bragging that you've got a handsome husband and a sweet daughter now? That's it — move in with your Alex. Maybe we'll move in with you later,'" Recca rolled her eyes, clearly annoyed.

"Ha ha ha! Well, now you're with us. Here, I'll help with your bag, and come on in. Just in time for dinner," Alex said, bending down for her bag.

"Thanks... and sorry for the trouble," Recca said with a smile.

"No problem. We're family, after all. As Moira said," Alex winked, laughing.

Recca scrunched her nose cutely, barely hiding her irritation — her friends had basically kicked her out of their shared home. Alex let her inside and closed the door behind her.

"That was a quick move-in," Koko remarked, raising an eyebrow.

"Don't even remind me," Recca grumbled as she walked into the living room.

"What happened?" Yuriko asked, looking at her closely.

"The other girls kicked her out," Alex smirked, taking the bag and heading upstairs to bring it to their shared room.

All the girls stared at Recca, waiting for an explanation. She just nodded, confirming Alex's words. After a couple of minutes, prompted by their curiosity, she reluctantly but with a smirk told them how Moira had said:

"Why are you still living with us? Want to brag that you've got a handsome husband and a sweet daughter now? That's it, move in with him. Maybe we'll move in with you later."

After that, the room burst into laughter. Even Recca couldn't help but smile. Alex, coming down the stairs and hearing the laughter, chuckled, guessing what was going on. At that moment, Kiriko peeked out from the dining room:

"Dinner's ready! Everyone to the table!"

As soon as the long-awaited word was spoken, GIR, MIMI, and Stitch came tumbling down the stairs with a crash. They rushed to the dining room like a hurricane. Following gracefully from the upper floor, Alice and Nobukatsu jumped down, and Anya hurried after them, running down the steps. The whole group dashed past Alex, nearly knocking him off his feet.

Even the girls were a bit taken aback by such a wild reaction.

"Is this... considered normal for you?" Recca asked cautiously, pointing toward the dining room.

"You'll get used to it," Yuriko replied with a kind smile. "It's always like this here. Especially before meals."

Alex and the others just nodded. For them, such behavior from this perpetually hungry and hyperactive group had become routine. Only in the mornings were they much quieter.

Everyone headed into the dining room. Recca took a seat at the table, but her attention was drawn to something unexpected — a strange little creature was sitting right on the table, happily gnawing on a piece of raw meat.

"What on earth is that?" she asked in surprise, pointing at the small dragon.

"Mom, that's my pet! His name is Bond! He's awesome, right?" Anya exclaimed joyfully, glowing with pride.

Recca nodded mechanically, casting a bewildered glance at Alex and the other girls.

"Yes, it's a dragon. And yes, he's Anya's pet," Koko explained calmly as she sat down at the table.

"Wait... you have a dragon... and he's your daughter's pet?" Recca said, sounding robotic and still not quite believing what she was seeing.

"Alex wanted to show off some magic. Ended up summoning a dragon. Then he couldn't say no to his daughter. So now he's with us. By the way, he can grow to a very impressive size," Yuriko added, lazily leaning on the table and glancing at Alex.

"Is there anything else I should know? You know, so I don't faint from surprise later?" Recca asked ironically, still adjusting to this new reality.

Without blinking, Koko began:

"Well, first of all, Brunhilda is a real Valkyrie. And she has about a dozen Valkyrie sisters. They either live in Alex's soul or somewhere nearby... Honestly, I don't fully understand it myself. Oh, and there's also a ghost girl. Very dangerous. She lives in his shadow."

"You forgot to mention Rory," Saya added. "She's also from another world. She used to be an apostle of a god until Alex flew off the handle with jealousy and made her his own. Oh, and in Alex's original world, gods live among people. And Becca is actually blessed by one of them."

Recca looked at everyone with a slight squint, then slowly reached for a glass of water.

"Great. So, um… at least no one here's a vampire?"

"Well, about that…" Alex started, but immediately fell silent under the collective gaze of the girls.

"Alcina here plays the role of Madame Dracula who never leaves her domain," Revi said, pointing to Alcina sitting nearby.

One by one, the other girls recalled things Alex had "forgotten" to mention. The flood of information literally knocked Recca off her feet — all she had known before was that Alex was the son of some Great Boss who created everything, and that there were two dangerous beings in the universe trying to destroy it. Everything else was a real revelation to her.

While Recca was processing what she had just heard, the other girls—having enjoyed a hot bath—began to gather in the dining room to have dinner. When Juri entered the room, she gave Alex a smirk and winked playfully:

"Cool. You even have a pet dragon," she said, noticing Bond peacefully chewing on a piece of raw meat on the table.

"I see you're not too surprised," Alex remarked, watching her sit down at the table.

"Well, a dragon is definitely interesting, but it's not as shocking as the fact that you're the Demon King and your father is the Great Boss himself," Juri replied with a lazy grin. "Although your bath is just gorgeous. I'd give it a ten out of ten."

"So, the only thing that impressed you was our bath, and nothing else?" Beatrice asked with a curious tone.

"What? Baths are important. They help you relax. And Alex is a demon… Well, a demon is a demon. What's the difference?" Juri shrugged. "Besides, I still haven't thanked him for killing the bastard who murdered my parents."

"Who are you talking about? When did he do that?" Renka asked in surprise, looking at Juri.

"That scum — Bison," Juri growled, narrowing her eyes.

"By the way, he's not dead," Rory said with a wide grin.

Juri frowned and shifted her gaze from Rory to Alex.

"What do you mean, 'not dead'?"

"He's trapped in the nightmare world. Alex calls it the Red City," Brunhilda explained calmly.

The other girls nodded in agreement. They already knew that Alex planned to use the Red City as a prison for anyone who stood in his way.

Juri looked at Alex, demanding an explanation. He sighed and decided to tell them what the Red City was and what was happening there now. When he described what Bison was going through, Juri burst out laughing loudly, sincerely regretting only that she couldn't witness his suffering firsthand.

Alex just sighed quietly. Yes, Chun-Li had also lost her parents because of Bison, but her reaction was much more restrained. Although she too was glad he got what he deserved.

"So what's up with that bastard now? How's he doing in your nightmare city?" Juri asked, still smiling but calmer now.

"I don't know... maybe he ran into another monster. Or he's still 'having fun' with Slenderman. Either way, his days can hardly be called good. And the worst part for him is—it'll last forever," Alex replied, putting a spoon to his mouth.

"Sounds just perfect... Can you show me? I want to see with my own eyes how that scumbag suffers," Juri said with a bloodthirsty smile.

Alex shrugged and nodded but obviously wasn't planning to add torture scenes to dinner. Juri was perfectly fine with that—her smile only grew wider. Dinner continued in a calm, almost homely atmosphere. Everyone chatted, laughed, and simply enjoyed the evening.

"So, what do you usually do in the evenings?" Juri asked, finishing the last bite.

"We have a family movie night every evening," Shizuka answered with a warm smile.

Juri and Recca exchanged interested glances. The idea of watching movies together clearly appealed to them. However, Alex knew that a movie night in this house was far from a peaceful event. It was an entire war—a battle of tastes where the girls divided into camps, held debates, and tried to push their film choice. Until someone gave up... or a compromise was reached.

To be continued...

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